Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CORPUS CHRISTI AREA
Corpus Christi is the bull's-eye of its namesake region and bay. Its museums and attractions
can fill a day or more while the pull of the beaches on Mustang and Padre Islands is irres-
istible - Port Aransas is easily the most charming beach town in Texas. But it's not all sand
and sea - it can be cowboys and cattle too, if you like: an easy day trip from Corpus Christi
takes you to Kingsville, home of the King Ranch, one of the largest and oldest working
ranches in the world.
DRIVING THE BAY LOOP
You can do a loop of Corpus Christi Bay in two hours, without stops. In the south, Padre and Mustang Islands are
joined to the mainland via the John F Kennedy Causeway across Laguna Madre. The causeway in turn is reached
from Corpus Christi by either Ocean Dr from downtown or by TX 358 (S Padre Island Dr, often called just SPID),
which links to the other highways and passes by an ocean of shopping malls. In the north, a car ferry links Port
Aransas to TX 361, which leads to Aransas Pass where TX 35 links with US 181 and Corpus itself.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Corpus Christi
POP 308,000
Known simply as Corpus, this city by the placid bay is a growing and vibrant place. Its at-
tractions are worth a visit and its perpetually sunny location on its namesake bay is beguil-
ing.
The Spaniards named the bay after the Roman Catholic holy day of Corpus Christi in
1519, when Alonzo Álvarez de Piñeda discovered its calm waters. The town established
here in the early 1800s later took the name as well. Growth was slow, however, due to yel-
low fever in the 19th century and a hurricane in 1919. Construction of Shoreline Blvd and
the deepwater port between 1933 and 1941, combined with a boom brought on by WWII,
caused rapid growth. Although the downtown is sleepy away from the water, the city does
a good business attracting large conventions and meetings at the vast American Bank
Center.